Dreaming of Flight, an endearing novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde, is a thought-provoking, contemporary story of love and loss.
Stewie Little, eleven, never knew his parents. They died when he was just a baby. But he did know his grandmother and loved her very much. When she died, he was devastated. Stewie and his older brother have been raised by their older sister on the farm where their grandmother lived.
After his grandmother died, Stewie took over the care of her chickens. He takes his job seriously, calls each hen by name, and gathers their eggs lovingly. He sells eggs to his neighbors and has steady customers who count on him.
On his egg route one day, he went to a house that was farther than he had been before. An older, grouchy woman came to the door. Actually, she reminded him of his grandmother. They became friends, each giving the other the “something missing” in their lives. For instance, Stewie had trouble reading and his new friend took the time to sit down with him for reading lessons.
A serious boy, Stewie doesn’t understand sarcasm, is painfully honest, and often confused by others’ behavior. When his new friend gets into serious trouble, Stewie steps in to help, with surprising results.
I appreciated how Stewie and his new friend filled each others’ needs. By the time I was eight years old, my family had moved several times due to my father’s work. We had just moved, again, from Michigan to what would become our permanent home in Seattle, Washington, and my new teacher noticed I wasn’t reading at third-grade level. She sent a note home with me and the next day the teacher, my mother and I had a little conference. The teacher gently explained that I needed to catch up on my reading skills, and sent books home with me. I was to read aloud for 30 minutes a day. So began my catching up, then passing up my grade level. I will always be thankful this teacher took the time and effort to recognize the problem, and then follow through. She opened up a life of reading–and writing–that I otherwise may not have had.
Stewie’s new friend reminded me how important it is to step in when you see a need. In Dreaming of Flight, needs of both Stewie and his new friend are met, but in unexpected ways. This is yet another heart-felt novel by one of my favorite authors, Catherine Ryan Hyde.